"At the start of the hunger strike there were about a thousand students participating, ruining their health. It infuriates me to think that there are people who want to ruin what these 1,000—and later several thousand— students are risking their lives for." ~Chai Ling, student protest leader
Hunger Strike
On May 13, 1989, students began a hunger strike to protest the government's refusal to meet with them. They knew that it would take drastic measures to be able to meet with the government leaders. The students began laying in the streets, going days on end without any food. Not many people died from starvation, though. On May 19, 1989, Zhao Ziyang went to the square to ask them to stop the protest. This angered Li Peng, a government official at the time. He declared martial law, giving them the power to deal with the protesters in other ways and not get in trouble with other countries ("Human Rights").
"Martial law – May 19, 1989, the sixth day of hunger strikes. Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang arrives at Tiananmen Square to address the students. He begins his now-famous speech by saying: 'Students, we came too late. We are sorry.' The next day, Premiere Li Peng declares martial law in parts of Beijing." ("Tiananmen Square")